Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, generator, gearbox, nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The rotor blades capture kinetic energy from wind using known airfoil principles and transmit the kinetic energy through rotational energy to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
To improve the performance of an existing wind turbine, one or more upgrades are often installed on and/or within the wind turbine. For instance, various hardware-related upgrades and/or control/software-related upgrades may be installed on and/or within a wind turbine in an attempt to increase its annual energy production (AEP). However, once a wind turbine has been upgraded, it is often difficult to assess or otherwise quantify that impact that the installed upgrade(s) has had on the wind turbine's overall performance.
Accordingly, an effective system and method for assessing the performance impact of wind turbine upgrades would be welcomed in the technology.